Hybrid Hell
by Vincent Kinneas
Summary: A year after Meteor, a figure from Cloud's past returns, with bad tidings for Vincent... Please R + R! My 1st Fanfic! Chapter 6 Now up!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: There's a couple of original characters, the rest are owned by Squaresoft Inc. So what I'm saying is, please don't sue me!**__**

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**_Prologue_**

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**__**_He was asleep but aware, in a strange drug-induced coma. The liquid prison was all he could feel, caressing him, enveloping him, containing him. It was both a blessing and a curse, like a fallen angel, seductive yet evil. It had been his world, his everything, for what seemed an eternity, and he knew in all chance that it would remain so for all time._

_Yet he could remember a time, so long ago, when he had been one of those who now held him captive. _Shinra_, he thought, his mind snarling where his throat could not, the name angering him. If he had been free to do so, he would have spat to free his mouth from the taste of bile that had arisen._

_And before his foolishness, before Shinra... Her._

_If his current residence was like a fallen angel, she was one of the true heavenly host, beautiful, innocent, pure. She had meant the world to him. He would have endured an aeon of torture to spare her one moment of unhappiness. But he had been young and reckless, and had chosen a career over his love, thinking he could return to her when he had made his name and fortune. It had been the most foolish decision in his life, and no matter how long he existed, it would be impossible for him to commit idiocy of such magnitude again. That choice had cost him the love of the most wonderful girl on the Planet, and led him into the belly of the beast._

_Thinking of his past life pained him, but it was all he could do to stay sane. And there was another purpose to it. Before his capture, he had wielded incredible forces. If he could only remember how, then he could use them again. He could be free... and he knew he was getting close. Every day, his memory was getting clearer. He was remembering how it had felt to release the awesome energies that resided within his muscular frame. As to how he had accessed these miraculous powers... not yet. But soon._

_Soon._

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	2. Resurrection

Disclaimer: There's a couple of original characters, the rest are owned by Squaresoft Inc. So what I'm saying is, please don't sue me! 

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**_Chapter 1: Resurrection_**

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**__**Sunrise. The black of night perishes before the fiery red of morning, the bright rays filling the hearts of all who bear witness to the timeless triumph of light over dark, good over evil. The world of the day awakes, humans, pets, forest creatures. The Dawn Chorus raise their voices in praise to the spirit of the Planet for granting them a new chance at life, with new surprises and new opportunities inherent. For Aeris Gainsborough, it was a time of bliss. 

Since being reborn, she had arisen every morning and trekked up Mount Nibel to a sightseeing point, just to gaze upon the beauty of nature. She wanted to make sure that she took full advantage of all life had to offer, as the chance had almost been taken away from her for good. 

As she started to walk back to Nibelheim, her thoughts danced back to her miraculous revival. Her friends - her dear, dear friends - had searched endlessly for a way to return her immortal spirit to her still perfect body, absolutely preserved in the lake where it had been lain to rest. And they had found one... 

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"Uuuugh!" groaned Cloud as he collapsed for the fifth time, the effort of his task overwhelming him. 

"Yo, Spike, take a break! We can take over for a while. You need ta rest up a while, get some sleep man! You been at this all day!". Barret marvelled at his friend's resilience; even he would have called it a day hours ago. But Cloud had struggled to keep going, clenching the blue-green orbs until he fainted. 

"I... can... keep going. I'm... alright." 

"Hell you are! You're coming with me. We'll head back to camp, come back in the morning. Nanaki can cover for a coupla hours." 

"But I've made... progress," wheezed Cloud. 

"Yeah, and soon you'll be progressing to the grave! You know us humans weren't meant ta mess with these things!" 

"I can talk to... Planet... with them. Got to... keep... going. For... her." Barrett's expression softened slightly. 

"Cloud," he said as gently as he could manage, "Ya ain't gonna help Aeris by falling on yo' spiky butt over and over. Just rest tonight. We're all working on this. Ya don't hafta go it alone." Cloud sighed. 

"I guess you're right. I'll get some sleep. But I'm coming back tomorrow." 

"I know. So will I." With that, they left the strange, shell-like building and started the return journey to Bone Village, where they were staying until they completed their task. It had been their first port of call after Midgar, where they had remained for a few days to put out fires caused by Meteor. Aeris had been a dear friend to them all, and everyone was determined to bring her back, especially after she had saved them all from Meteor using the Lifestream. And the only way to accomplish their task, that they knew of, was to communicate directly with the Planet, using the strange, glowing spheres abundant around the Forgotten City. The only problem with this was that the spheres seemed to use a direct, telepathic link to communicate, and the stress this put on the human nervous system was dangerous, maybe even lethal. So far, none of the heroes had managed to withstand the pain long enough to make a connection, but they were getting closer. They would keep trying until they succeeded, no matter the cost. 

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Cid growled as the pain flared in is head, but hung grimly on to the orb. He was focused on his goal. He would not lose a battle of wills with a fucking ball! With every fibre of his mind, he attempted a to convey a message; _I need to talk with you, Planet._ The only response was a greater stab of agony. Cid grimaced, and fought it. Again, he tried his message, with the same result. Finally, with a clenching of muscles, he roared, physically and mentally, "_FUCKING TALK TO ME, YOU *^&%&^*!!!!!!!!"_

Instantly, the pain disappeared, replaced by a voice he felt, rather than heard; *_there is no need for such language, little one*_

__Cid's jaw dropped open, his customary cigar falling to the ground in astonishment. _Who are you? _he thought at the voice. 

_*we are planet,* _replied the voice _*we thought you knew that. after all, you and your friends have been trying to communicate with us for almost seven cycles*_

_Cycles?_

_*of light and dark. what you would call days* _Cid frowned. This was probably the strangest thing he'd ever done, and the 'Planet' sure talked weird. He shrugged. Oh well, might as well get on with it. 

_I ask for a favour, Great Planet, _he thought. A little flattery couldn't hurt. 

_*what would you ask of us then, mortal?* _

_I ask for new life for the human once known as Aeris Gainsborough._

_*why do you think we would grant it?* _Cid was taken aback. He hadn't expected the Planet to argue. 

_Her life was taken unfairly. She deserves another chance._

_*many are unfairly ended. why is she so different, that we should prevent her natural flow?*_

_She saved your sorry life, Goddamnit! If it wasn't for her, you'd just be another part of Sephiroth! You owe her your existence! What better way to repay her than by restoring hers?_

_*and we will. she will become one with us, and live again in many different forms across the ages*_

_She'd want to live again as herself!_

_*we are sorry, but your word alone cannot convince us of that. we feel she would want to be part of the lifestream.*_

_'No Planet, I would rather return to life as myself. I did not complete my time on your surface.' _Cid gasped. 

_Aeris, is that you?!_

_'Yes. Cid! It's so good to hear your voice. Well, your thoughts. Oh, I see your hair's a bit greyer than usual.' _Cid laughed. That was Aeris all right. Same gentle teasing, same sense of humour. 

*_are you sure aeris? we think you'd be better off joining us.*_

_'I appreciate the thought, Planet, but my mind is made up. I want to let my life run it's natural course before I join you.'_

_*then so be it. you are to be restored to life. go freely, and may you know great joy in your time. until next we meet, aeris gainsborough. and you too, valiant cid highwind, who put his life on the line to save that of a friend. congratulations to you and all your friends. goodbye* _And with that, the voice of Planet faded and was gone. 

Cid let go of the orb and blinked. Had that just happened? If so, where was Ae- 

An explosion outside caught his attention. Cid ran outside to see what was going on, only to see a column of piercing green light blasting up from the centre of the city; Aeris' final resting place. He sprinted off down the track, through the small copse of trees, to the blue lake, arriving just in time to witness a miracle. 

Aeris' body was floating in mid-air, at the heart of the column, the iridescent rays coruscating through her body, entering her eyes, her nose, her mouth. Cid was awe-struck by the majesty of it all. Suddenly, the green light vanished, and Aeris fell back to the lake. Cid raced out into the water and found her coughing and spluttering. She was alive! Lifting her carefully, he carried her back to dry land and set her down on the ground. "Aeris? can you hear me?" he said gently. 

Aeris' beautiful green eyes opened slowly, and she smiled. "Remind me to learn to swim someday." Cid laughed, and the two hugged, glad to see each other after what they thought had been their final meeting. And for the first time in so very long, Aeris was happy. 

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Aeris blinked. Lost in her memories, she hadn't noticed that she was almost home. Just round the bend and she would be back at the mansion. She grinned. All she had planned for today was lazing around, as it was Cait Sith's turn to do the chores. Cait Sith. Now there was a strange per- 

Something heavy careened into Aeris' side, knocking her off her feet. She gasped in pain. Rolling over, she saw the giant Zuu that had bashed into her wheel round in it's flight and bear down on her, it's talons ready to rip her to shreds. There was no time to escape. Retrieving the Princess Guard from the holster on her back, she stared down the oncoming monstrosity, preparing for what could be her last stand. 


	3. Nibelheim

**DISCLAIMER: **All characters are owned by Squaersoft Inc, yadda yadda yadda. There are some original characters though, and they're mine. Got it? Right then. On with the story!**__**

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**_Chapter 2: Nibelheim_**

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_"Good morning, subject X-05. I trust you slept well?". The cruel, mocking voice belonged to the man he hated most; Professor Leddan, the scientist in charge of experimenting with him. His tortured throat wouldn't allow him to reply to the sarcastic query, but his eyes blazed with fury._

_"Insolent as ever, I see. Perhaps this will teach you some civility." The Professor flipped a switch, and suddenly his tank was electrified. He screamed in agony as the raw voltage coursed through his body. Leddan smirked and turned the power off again. "Did that teach you anything, scum? Maybe you'll learn to respect your master now."_

_He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this man was not his master. If he had his sword, then he'd show that-_

_Sword?_

_What sword?_

__Did I used to use a... sword?_ he thought, his fragmented memory confusing him again. _Yes... I had a sword... a huge sword... my Buster Sword! That was it! Buster Sword! But how did I lose- 

_And then the memory hit him full on. The chase... the bullet in his back... his friend thinking him dead and taking his sword to avenge him... his friend wailing his name..._

_His name... his name was..._

_"zk" he mumbled. Leddan frowned._

_"What was that, scum?" he sneered. But the Professor was furthest form his mind now. His name was the trigger. He remembered it all. The life, the battles, the magic, the power within him. Most of all, how to use that power._

_Another electric shock made his body convulse. "Answer me when I speak to you, scum!"_

_"zck."_

_"What?"_

_"Zck. Zck," he mouthed, trying to get his vocal chords to work._

_"Speak up, scum!"_

_"zck. Zck. Zack. Zack! ZACK! MY NAME IS ZACK, YOU BASTARD!" His rage fully awakened, he chanelled it._

_Orange rings of energy surged outwards from his body, as Leddan looked on in horror. He tried to shock the subject again, but there was no effect. Suddenly, the tank burst open, leaving only the subject standing in front of the Professor, who tried in vain to back away. Warning sirens screeched as Zack summoned forth his power. Then he roared. And the full force of his limit break was released. Professor Leddan had time to scream once, and omly once, before he was ripped apart._

_The destruction had only begun._

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An instant before the enormous bird reached Aeris, it screeched and lurched backwards in pain, it's agonies accompanied by the sound of a gunshot. Two more shots and the creature died, green blood oozing from it's flanks. Aeris looked over to the source of the bullets, and smiled at her saviour. 

Vincent Valentine reloaded his rifle and strode over to the former flower girl, his crimson cape billowing in the wind, red eyes showing no emotion. 

"Thanks for the save, Vince!" she beamed at him. 

"If you must insist on this hazardous trek every morning, then please be more careful. I won't always be here to help you out." She frowned. 

"Ok, ok, no need for the lecture! I'll be more careful next time. Anyway, what brings you out here this early? Not that I'm complaining, of course, but you usually don't get up till about noon!" 

The usually emotionless gunslinger looked slightly embarrassed. "Erm, well..." 

A slashing noise from above caught their attention, and they looked up just in time to see another Zuu fall from the sky, it's head landing a few feet from it's body. It had been a few seconds away from rending them limb from limb. 

"You're getting sloppy, guys!" came Yuffie's taunting, singsong voice as she caught her returning Conformer and wiped the blood from it. She strolled over to them, smirking. "Lucky you've got an amazingly talented and beautiful ninja on your side, eh?" 

Aeris rolled her eyes. Yuffie was one of her best friends, but she had the skill to get on anyone's nerves after a while. "Thanks for the save, Yuffie," she sighed. "Vince, you still haven't answered yet. What are you-" Then she realised why he looked so sheepish, and she gave him a knowing smile."Oh, I see!" 

The gunman's face went the same colour as his eyes. "I promised Yuffie I'd take her to see the materia fountain," he mumbled, "You know how much she likes materia, I thought she'd appreciate it." 

"I'll bet you did," she chuckled. "Well, I'd better let you two get where you're going. See you!" 

"Bye Aeris!" chirped Yuffie as she grabbed Vincent's good arm. "C'mon Fangs, let's go!" With a quick goodbye from Vincent, the two walked off towards the mountain. Aeris grinned._ Who'd have thought it?_ she mused._ Oh well, I hope he doesn't clam up talking to her!_

With a last glance at the disappearing duo, she turned and finished her homeward journey, back home to the Shinra mansion. 

Nibelheim had formerly been occupied by a group of actors, hired by Shinra to pretend to be the real occupants of the village, who had died in the fire that Sephiroth started. They had helped push Cloud over the edge, as he doubted his own memories of what had happened to his hometown. Eventually, his real memories had resurfaced, and saved his sanity. In the aftermath of Shinra's collapse, the actors had disappeared, leaving the area deserted. AVALANCHE took advantage of the situation by taking over the town for their own. A year later, the population had swelled slightly, and the village was thriving once again. 

"Hey Aeris!" came a voice as she walked into town. An enormous stuffed toy was strolling over to her, carrying a black and white cat which was waving a megaphone wildly at her. 

"Hey Mr. Mayor! How's things?" she asked. 

"Don't call me that! Just 'coz I organise the town meetings, it doesn't make me the mayor. You know the town doesn't have a mayor." 

"Yeah, but only because you and Reeve both refused the post. By the way, is he getting stuck into his chores?" 

"Yup, sadly. You'd be amazed how boring it is to be psychically connected to a guy doing housework. The things that guy thinks of when he's bored, I could tell y'all a few stories..." 

"No thanks!" said Aeris hastily, "I really don't want to know what goes on in Reeve's head. Anyway, to get away from the really scary conversation, what's new in town today?" 

"Well, I'm trying to call another meeting for tonight. A lotta monsters have been showing up 'round town lately, so I'm just gonna warn everyone 'bout them." 

"I thought something wasn't right. I just got attacked by a couple of Zuus up in the mountains." Cait Sith frowned. 

"That's weird. They haven't bothered anyone since the reactor got shut down, months ago. I better get the rest of the guys and go on a hunt tomorrow. I'll talk to them tonight." He grinned. "I'm gonna take 'em all to the cleaners this time!" 

"Oh yes, it's your poker night, isn't it? Well, good luck!" 

"Thanks, but a superior cat like me can get by on skill alone! Anyway, I hafta go. See ya Aeris!" 

"Bye Cait!" called Aeris to her feline friend as he bounced off down the street. Then she turned back and walked into the mansion, closing the door behind her. It looked like it was going to be a good day. 

The creature that had been watching her growled. 


	4. Affections

Disclaimer: All characters and locations property of Squaresoft Inc. yadda yadda yadda. You know the score. Anyone copies any of my ideas or original characters, however, and I'll get pretty annoyed. That said, on with the show! 

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**_Chapter 3: Affections_**

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_Zack woke up slowly, his head pounding. _What happened?_ he wondered. _I remember using my limit break and then... nothing. So what-_ Then he noticed the devastation around him. The lab lay in pieces. _Did I do... all that? _Stumbling forward, his foot found a dead SOLDIER member, who had been crushed by a falling computer console. At his side lay a discarded Hardedge sword, with a piece of magic materia in one slot. _This should come in handy, _he thought as he picked it up. Upon closer inspection he discovered that it was an Earth materia, used for casting Quake. _Well, nothing else on show in this room. Wonder what's through here? _Ducking through a ruined doorway, he found himself in what looked like a briefing room. Puzzled, he walked over to a desk and examined a notebook he found there._

_"'Subject X-05 responding well to treatment. Should be ready for enhancement soon.' Hey, wait a minute! Subject X-05! That's me! What the hell is this about?" Zack read on, and found details about the 'enhancement' procedure, his alarm growing. Finally, he pocketed the notebook and ran off. The notes left by an anonymous scientist, probably Professor Leddan, had horrified him. He knew that he had to tell someone about this, and he could think of only one person to turn to._

__My only friend... Cloud...__

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"Wow!" exclaimed Yuffie as she beheld the breathtaking wonder of the fountain. "It's-it's amazing!" The young ninja's normal chatter had all but stopped. Vincent smiled under his cloak, despite himself. Of all the strange things he had seen in his life, a speechless Yuffie was one of the most miraculous. 

"I take it you like the fountain?" he enquired, a slight hint of humour in his voice. 

"Like it? I love it! It's gotta be the best place in the whole world! Thanks for bringing me here, Vinny!" 

"It was no trouble, Yuffie. I just thought you would appreciate it." 

"Ya thought right! This is great. It's really sweet of you to do this for me. Come here!" she laughed as she threw her arms around him. Vincent reddened, unsure of what to do, then hugged her back. They held each other for a few seconds then let go. 

"I was unaware I deserved that much of a thanks," he blushed, "I didn't do much." 

"Nah, probably not, but you get a bonus for being such a nice guy!" His face went an even darker red. 

"You think I'm a... nice guy?" he asked, trying desperately to keep his voice in it's usual monotone, and failing spectacularly. 

"Sure I do! You're always doing nice things for me. Trying to cheer me up if I'm depressed, lending me materia, taking me to see things like this. And let me tell you, the strong, silent type? Always been a personal favourite of mine. 'Specially if the guy's handsome," she winked at him. Then she turned back to the fountain, engrossed in the dancing light. Vincent breathed a silent prayer of relief. He couldn't have kept the stupid grin off of his face for another second. He stood there for another couple of seconds to regain his composure. What was he doing? He was acting like a schoolboy with a crush, for Cetra's sake! It was ridiculous! And yet... that was exactly how he felt about Yuffie. 

Ever since Cloud and the others had awoken him from his coffin, he had felt strangely drawn to the youthful materia hunter. The two had become good friends during the hunt for Sephiroth. Yuffie was delighted to find someone who did not condescend to her because of her age, while Vincent had found her happy-go-lucky attitude refreshing. She had kept his mind off of Lucrecia for awhile, occasionally by playing practical jokes on him, but usually by just prattling on endlessly. As time went on however, he thought about her more and more, her laugh, her smile, her hair- 

"Hey Vinny, look at this!" called Yuffie. Startled from his musings, he walked over to her to see what she had found. She was pointing at a brown rock. Before he could ask what was so interesting about it, he noticed that it was glowing. 

"Is that materia?" he queried. "I've never seen a brown materia before." 

"That's natural materia. It comes in all shapes and colours. The stuff we use was made in a mako reactor, artificially. Come on, you didn't think it came out of the ground naturally spherical, did you?" 

"But what about the colour?" 

"Artificial materia is made from processed mako in a machine, so it all looks the same, depending on what it's designed for. Natural materia usually looks like the surrounding rock, 'cause it's usually made by the lifestream reacting with the rock it comes into contact with." 

"I can see you know a lot about this subject." Yuffie rolled her eyes. 

"Well, duh! Didn't the 'materia hunter' bit give it away? I did know how to find the stuff, having to make a living out of it!" She sounded slightly cross as she pocketed the materia. 

"Forgive me, Yuffie, I meant no-" He paused as he noticed that she was trying not to laugh. 

"Chill out, Vinny! It's so easy to wind you up! You're so gullible!" 

"Only around you," murmured Vincent to himself, then froze as he realised he'd said it out loud. Yuffie was looking at him in surprise. 

"What did you mean by that? Vincent?" she asked gently. Vincent turned away, unable to meet her gaze. 

"We should be getting back to Nibelheim. It will take us an hour or so, and we do not want to remain here after dark." 

"It's not even noon yet. Don't change the subject. What did you mean?" Vincent stood stock still, not saying a word. He only moved when he felt Yuffie take his good hand in both of hers. Looking down to make sure he wasn't dreaming, his eyes met hers, and he was transfixed by their beauty. Her usually mischievous face was full of sincerity, all trace of humour gone. 

"I-I-" he stuttered, not knowing what to say, his racing pulse making it difficult to concentrate. Taking a deep breath, he made the most difficult speech of his life. 

"I meant exactly what I said, Yuffie. It's easy for you to fool me because I can't concentrate when I'm near you. Everything about you distracts me. I can't stop thinking about your hair, your eyes, your voice." Taking another deep breath, he summoned all of his courage. "I think I'm in love with you." 

Yuffie was astounded. Vincent Valentine had just poured out his heart to her, and she had been caught totally by surprise. She'd had no idea he felt that way about her, always just assumed he liked her as a friend. And yet, thinking back, there had been signs. She'd just been too blind to see them. Any time she was sad or upset, he would comfort her. Anything she asked of him, he would do in an instant without question. He never got angry at her, and was always happy to hang out whenever she asked. In fact, as she thought about it, she couldn't believe she hadn't noticed something earlier. But it had caught her completely flatfooted. Then she realised that she hadn't noticed it because she hadn't allowed herself to notice it. She hadn't allowed herself to believe that luck was on her side for once. 

She hadn't allowed herself to believe that she was in love with someone who loved her back. 

Gazing deeply into his red eyes, mirrors of a tortured soul, she said what Vincent had been longing to hear. 

"Vincent... I love you too." 

They stood in silence for a moment, looking deep into each other's souls. Then, closing his eyes, Vincent slowly lowered his mouth to hers, and their lips brushed delicately across each other, developing into a long, slow kiss. Embracing each other, they kissed again, and time stood still for the young lovers, at least for a while. For the first time either of them could remember, they forgot their troubles and lost themselves in the moment. 

It was a long time before their lips parted and they walked hand in hand back to Nibelheim. 

Authors Notes: So, how are ya liking this tale so far? Thought I'd better clear up a few points. 

First, Cait Sith and Reeve. I know this ain't right, but in this fanfic, I've decided to make 'em two separate beings who share a psychic link (due to a botched experiment by the lovely people at Shinra Inc.) rather than a man and a radio-controlled robot-toy thing. It's my interpretation of the way things are, and if you don't like it, that's your lookout. 

Second, Limit Breaks. Instead of 'charging them up' like in the game, the characters can only use them when they have an enormous emotional surge, like extreme anger. 

That's all for now folks. If there's anything else I'll let ya know. C ya! 


	5. An Unexpected Guest

Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own these characters, blah, blah, blah. But any original characters _are_ mine, and their use without my permission won't be tolerated. Now without further ado, here's chapter 4. 

**_Chapter 4: Unexpected Guest_**

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Nanaki growled at his opponent. He was smart, maybe even smarter than Nanaki. The canine warrior was all alone in his endeavours. Nobody could help him now. _Why didn't I back out when I had the chance? _he wondered. _I thought I could bluff my way through this, but I can't! He's too clever for that. Well, it's time to do or die._

"Three of a kind," he sighed as he laid his cards on the table. 

"Full house. Guess I win this hand, eh Red?" grinned Cloud as he pulled the pot towards him. 

"You won't be so lucky next time," said Nanaki. 

"Yeah, it's my hand next time, y'all!" laughed Cait Sith. 

"Hey, ya mean our hand!" said Reeve in annoyance. Since they could read each others thoughts, the rest of the group made Cait Sith and Reeve share a hand. 

"I know what I meant," answered the cat. 

"Just hurry up and deal, will ya?" came Cid's impatient tone, "Before the next ice age comes!" 

"All right, gimme a minute. It ain't easy ta deal cards with only one hand, ya know," moaned Barret. 

"I have never had any trouble with it," commented Vincent. 

"Ah, *&^% you, Fangs!" 

"Hey, Barrett, enough with the language, ok?" said Cloud, "Just deal." 

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Smart ass sonuvabitch," he muttered. As he dealt, Cait Sith broached the subject of the Zuus, passing on what Aeris had told him. Nanaki frowned. 

"It's not their mating season or anything," he said,"So there's no reason for them to be aggressive. Are you sure Aeris didn't get mixed up?" 

"She didn't. Myself and Yuffie were passing and helped her out," contributed Vincent. 

"Well, it's too late to do anything about it tonight," decided Cloud as he threw another chip into the pot, "So we'll deal with it in the morning. In the meantime, Vincent, what were you and Yuffie doing out at that time in the morning together?" Vincent said nothing, but his red face gave it away. 

"HAHAHA! Who'da thunk it? The vampire and the brat! Well I..." Cid's voice trailed off under Vincent's fiery glare. If looks could kill, the pilot would have been six feet under. 

"I mean... Vincent and that lovely young lady who we all adore, hehehe," he added, trying desperately to recover before a bullet shut him up for good. Vincent gave him one final scowl before turning back to the table. Cloud cleared his throat, trying to steer the conversation away from Cid's impending doom. 

"Well, I think it's great that you guys finally got together. Congratulations!" 

"Thanky-" Vincent started to say, but Cloud cut him off. 

"Let me finish. Before we get back to the game, I'd like to propose a toast." Vincent groaned in embarrassment, making Cloud grin before he continued. "Gentlemen, mogs, cats and dogs, please raise your glasses." He paused and looked around the table. "Sorry, I meant beer cans. To Yuffie and Vincent. Long may they know happiness." 

"To Yuffie and Vincent," repeated everyone. Vincent smiled. 

"Thank you all," he said. 

"Speech! Speech!" cried Cait Sith. Vincent sighed and rose from his chair to speak. 

"Very well. First of all, I would like to thank Cloud for the toast. I was really touched. Second of all, I would like to thank all of you for everything. I had never really known true friendship until we met. Thank you." The group smiled embarrassedly, with the odd, "Aww, shucks," thrown in. "Thirdly, I promise you all that I will take good care of Yuffie. I will never hurt her, and I will make her happy. This I swear. Lastly, I would just like to say that my royal flush has you all beaten for this hand." Their faces darkened in an instant as Vincent showed his cards. The sharpshooter smirked as he pulled his winnings towards him. "Now, whose deal is it?"__

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"So, what happened?" asked Tifa, feigning innocence. The question was addressed to Yuffie, who simply returned the fake ignorance. 

"I don't know what you're talking about, Tifa," she replied with an impish smile. 

"Oh come oooooonnnnn Yuffie," whined Aeris, "Spreading gossip is what a girl's night is for! Spill!" 

"Spill what exactly?" she grinned. 

"About Vincent, of course!" exclaimed Shera, "We want to know exactly what happened!" 

"Weeeeeeelllll..." began Yuffie with deliberate slowness. 

"Look, are you together or not?" said an exasperated Tifa. 

"Yes!" she blurted out, unable to contain her excitement any longer. The friends squealed in excitement, raised their glasses and toasted her and Vincent. Then, refilling their glasses, they toasted the couple again, and a third time, by which time Tifa was pretty toasted herself. 

"So, Yuffie, let's hear some details. Is he a good kisser?" she asked, whilst swaying slightly. 

"Well, uh..." stammered Yuffie, going red in an instant. 

"Did you slip him the tongue?" queried Elmyra, a mischievous glint in her eye. 

"Mother!" cried Aeris in shock. 

"What? I was young once, you know. I remember what my husband and I used to get up to back then, down on the beach at Costa Del Sol...". Her eyes misted over as she took a trip down memory lane. 

"EWWW!" screamed Aeris. "MOM! I DON'T WANNA HEAR ABOUT YOUR SEX LIFE!" 

"But I can give you some great pointers, dear!" grinned Elmyra evilly. 

"So, back to Yuffie!" said Shera hastily. 

"Yeah, you still haven't answered my question!" Tifa said, trying to keep the slur out of her voice with an overwhelming lack of success. 

"Look, I-" started Yuffie, before she was cut off by an explosion outside. Rushing to the window she saw an enormous red flash and a rising pillar of smoke just outside the town gates, at the start of the mountain trail. "That looked like a Fire3!" she exclaimed. 

"Better check it out. Let's go!" Aeris said. She and Yuffie grabbed their weapons, picked up some mastered materia from the display cabinet and ran outside. Tifa tried to follow, but was blocked by Shera. 

"Wanna go fight," she mumbled. 

"Tifa, you're drunk. Let them take care of it." 

"Wanna go fight," she repeated, then threw up on the floor. Elmyra sighed, and went to get a mop, whilst Shera retrieved a lightning materia from the cabinet, just in case whatever caused that explosion should slip past the others. 

"Good luck," she whispered. 

__

__**************************** 

Rushing out to the street, Aeris and Yuffie met the guys, who had also heard the explosion. "Where's Tifa?" asked Cloud. 

"Drunk," explained Yuffie with her usual subtlety. "She's a bit of a lightweight." 

"Hehe, like husband like wife, eh Cloud?" laughed Cid. "I mean remember at your stag party? It only took three pints before you were dancing on the table with a bucket on your head, shouting 'I'm a SOLDIER, I'm a SOLDIER!'." 

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!" retorted Cloud. "At YOUR stag night, after two vodka and cokes you had a dress on, singing copacabana!" 

"All right, all right, alright!" shouted Aeris. "Knock it off already. The testosterone level is killing me here! I'm sure you've both got some very interesting stories about your stag nights, especially about those strippers Barret hired-" 

"How did you- uuh, I mean, what strippers?" blurted out Barret, digging a hole for himself. 

"-but right now we've got more important things to worry about! So let's move!". And with that, Aeris darted off to the town gates, the others following a moment later, Cloud and Cid still drawing each other daggers. 

__

__**************************** 

Zack leapt backwards just in time to avoid being barbecued by the powerful spell, but losing his eyebrows in the process. Cursing, he threw his sword up just in time to parry a vicious blow from his opponent's razor-sharp talons, barely escaping disembowelment, then swung the hardedge in a low arc. The creature facing him somersaulted away, dodging the sweep. "You can't win, Zack!" it laughed at him, then charged. Zack blocked a series of slashes, backing up towards the Nibelheim town wall. 

_Think fast, man! If you get stuck against the wall, you're history!_ An idea struck him. Whilst fending off the cruel claws, he chanted quickly in the language of the Ancients. The Earth materia in his weapon started to glow, the light spreading to coruscate around him in green rings. Too late, the beast realised what was happening and tried to back off. 

"QUAKE3!" bellowed Zack. A gigantic mound of rock and soil burst forth underneath the monster, slamming into it with the force of an avalanche. It was hurled from it's feet, landing in a bloodied heap some yards away. It didn't move. Zack sighed with relief and half sat, half fell on to the ground, weary from his long battle, and the journey beforehand. It had taken him two days to hike down from the mountains, with no food and little water. Now that he was here, he could afford a rest. Why not sleep? The others would be along in a minute. They must have heard the battle. Everything would be fine, if he just slept... 

The monstrosity cackled as it's Sleepel took effect. Brute force wasn't always necessary. Rising to it's feet, it winced slightly. The Scum's spell had hurt more than it had realised. It would pay for that. The fiend lurched towards Zack's sleeping body and prepared to slice him in two, to destroy him once and for all. 

Author's Note: So, whaddaya think so far? All reviews on the back of a postcard to the usual address. Flames welcomed, as long as they offer constructive criticism. Chapter 5 coming soon to a net-linked PC or Mac near YOU! 


	6. The Reunion

Disclaimer: Any character, idea, plotline, etc. that's been seen before isn't mine. Anything new, however, is MINE and copying it is only authorised by asking me first. Anyway, after the obligatory message, on with the show! 

**__**

Chapter 5: The Reunion 

The creature raised it's hand to finish Zack off, when a piercing, whirring noise snatched it's attention. Launching itself backwards, it narrowly avoided being decapitated by the finely honed metal disc that sliced through the air. It landed about fifty feet away and turned to snarl at the newcomers. 

Yuffie caught the returning Conformer, staring in shock as she did so. She had never seen anything jump that far in her life. None of the party had. But Cloud and Aeris weren't concerned with that at the moment. They were gawping at the crumpled figure with the sword. 

"Cloud, is that..." whispered Aeris in disbelief. Cloud nodded slowly. 

"It's Zack." 

"B-but how? I-I-I thought he was-was-". Aeris was nearly in tears. 

"So did I. But that's him." 

"Yo! We ain't got time for this now!" snapped Barrett. "Wait 'til we've dealt with whatever that thing over there is!" They all looked at the creature at that. It stood seven feet tall, with mottled green skin and reptilian eyes. All it's fingers ended in knifelike claws. It wore an armored black body suit. Embalzoned across it's chest in red was an image of a globe in the center of a web. 

"The 'thing' has a name," it hissed, "I am Quarkal. Learn it well, for soon it will be marked on your graves!" With that, it turned and ran off at an incredible pace. _Geez, that guy could make a fortune at the chocobo races!_ thought Cait Sith surreally. 

__

What are you on about? questioned Reeve. 

__

Look at him! You ever seen a chocobo that could beat that pace? 

__

You've lost it, sighed Reeve mentally. 

__

Then what does that say about you? was the cat's reply, with the telepathic equivalent of a smirk. Reeve shook his head in annoyance and brought his attention back to reality. 

Cloud had walked over to the sleeping figure and was crouched in front of him. Pale as a ghost, Aeris was standing a couple of paces behind him, her face a picture of shock. Reeve's heart gave a pang at seeing her beautiful face so twisted with worry. He wished he could comfort her. There had to be something he could do. He started to walk over to her. 

__

Don't, came a warning thought. He turned to see Cait Sith giving him a cautionary look. _This isn't the time or the place. You'll just mess her up more than she already is. Forget about it for now. _Reeve scowled, but acquiesced. He knew it was sound advice. 

"Zack?" Cloud said softly. There was no response. "Zack!" he said a bit more firmly, and tapped him gently on the shoulder, being careful not to aggravate his injuries. The black haired warrior opened his eyes slowly, blinked a few times and finally managed to focus on the person in front of him. 

"Cloud?" he said hesitantly, not sure if he was dreaming or not. Then he broke into a pained smile. "Cloud! Long time no see, huh?" 

"You could say that again, man," Cloud smiled back sympathetically, still concerned about his injuries. "Can you walk?" 

"Of course I can walk," groaned Zack. He got halfway to his feet, then his legs gave way, and he landed hard on his rear. "Ouch," he said weakly. "Anyone got a restore materia on them?" 

"I do," said Nanaki. A short chant later and the healing jade light enveloped Zack. Still-forming bruises on his arms faded, red welts dissipating. "Aah, that's better," smiled Zack, a real smile this time. He stood up and didn't fall. "Thanks a lot..." 

"Nanaki," the canine replied. 

"Nanaki. Nice to meet you. Hey Cloud, why don't you introduce me to everyo-". He halted mid-sentence, mouth hanging open. 

Aeris met his look, tears brimming in her emerald eyes. The two just gazed at each other, emotion clogging their throats. No-one spoke. Jealousy welled up inside Reeve like a tidal wave, but he kept his features impassive. Cait Sith kept his thoughts to himself. 

Finally, Zack spoke. "They told me you were dead." He couldn't keep the tremble from his voice. 

"Th-they told me the s-same about y-you," she sobbed, barely keeping herself from weeping freely. There was another pause, then they ran and threw there arms around each other, openly crying now. They held on so tightly they could barely breathe, but didn't care. They were reunited. 

The rest of the group turned away in slight embarrassment, feeling that it wasn't for them to see. Reeve bit his lip so hard it bled, but kept quiet, turning with the rest of them. 

A few minutes later Aeris and Zack's tears finally subsided. They held on for another short while then let go. No more words were spoken. After a couple of seconds, they started a slow pace back into town, side by side, not touching but close. Everyone else followed at a respectful distance. Reeve's hands were balled into tight fists, and he shook slightly with anger as he walked. Cait Sith came up beside him, patting him on the back for reassurance. _She's just overcome at seeing someone she thought was dead. It doesn't mean anythng yet. And if it does, you're just gonna hafta be happy for her. Are you going to grudge her happiness?_

__

No. Reeve uncurled his fists. _You're right. It's not my place to be angry._

__

Don't worry. I won't judge ya for it. Happens to the best of us. 

__

You sound like you know what you're talking about. 

__

Well, back at gold saucer I met this cute little slot machine... 

Reeve laughed out loud. Cid turned to him in surprise. "What's the joke?" 

"Ah, just somethingCait said." Cid shrugged and turned back round. Reeve and Cait continued walking. 

Only Vincent hung back for a moment. Cloud and Aeris were certainly glad to see Zack, but he felt something was off. The newcomer had made him uneasy, for some reason he couldn't quite put his finger on. It was as if he was familiar somehow... 

"Hey, whatcha waiting for Vinnie?" chirped Yuffie as she appeared behind him. Vincent shook his head in irritation at himself, then smiled at his girlfriend. 

"Only you. Shall we go?" Yuffie nodded happily and took his hand. They strolled off home, with Vincent still trying to shake off the feeling that he'd seen Zack before. 

Author's Notes: Slightly shorter this time round. Sorry I ain't updated in a while, but I've had a slight touch of writer's block. I'm over that now, so I should be back into this. Just my luck the exams are getting close, eh? Oh well, I'm sure I'll manage. Anyway, thanks for bearing with me. Quick question; who was the anonymous reviewer who talked about his brother singing "Old Macdonald?" I just gotta hear the full story on that one! Anyway, C y'all later! 

PS RADS wants her stuff back if anyone's got anything from her, i.e. playstation games, videos, etc.

Wolfy 


	7. Night Thoughts

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, they all belong to Squaresoft, you know how it is.  
  
Chapter 6: Night Thoughts  
  
As they reached the gates of Nibelheim, the party returned to their own homes, with a few mumbled goodnights. Only Cloud and the recently reunited couple stayed. Aeris turned to Zack and smiled, her beauty almost making him faint again.  
  
"Well, we'll have to fix you up a room right away!" she chirped, "There's plenty of free rooms in the mansion." Zack froze and started shaking. Aeris' expression jolted into one of worried concern. "Zack? What's wrong?"  
  
"Not. . . . not there. Somewhere else. . . anywhere else!" he moaned. Aeris wrapped her arms round him again, scared that he was having a nervous breakdown after all he'd been through. Cloud walked up to dispel her fears.  
  
"He's ok. It's just that the mansion is where they kept us before we escaped. Just before. . . " His voice trailed off, not wanting to remember the night of Zack's 'death'. Aeris squeezed Zack tighter for a second.  
  
"It's ok," she whispered, "You don't have to stay there." Raising her voice, she asked "Cloud, can he use your spare room?"  
  
"Sure," replied Cloud with a grin, "It'll be like old times, huh buddy?" Zack regained a slight smile.  
  
"I remember the old times. Didn't they usually end with you getting so drunk you couldn't walk, and me having to push you back to the barracks in a wheelbarrow?"  
  
"Hey! They served pretty strong stuff at that bar back then!"  
  
"Yeah, but you never drank it! It was usually light beers you drank, and not much of those either! Old four-then-floor we called you!" Cloud fumed.  
  
"Oh shut up! Anyway, let's go if you're going. You'll be lucky if I give you a couch now."  
  
"I'll be along in a minute." Cloud started to ask why he wouldn't come right away, then noticed Aeris' pointed look.  
  
"Erm, ok. Second house on the left, with the green door. I'll fix up your room while you're- erm, I mean before you- I'm going before I dig myself any deeper into this hole I've just made." He departed, leaving the two alone.  
  
They looked into each others' eyes for a few moments. "I'm so sorry I left you," said Zack, "I know it's a bit late to say so, but I am. I thought I could become someone great, then come back and have you take me in as if nothing had happened. I'm so sorry. It was so goddamn stupid of me! I just. . . I just never meant to cause you any pain, whatever happened. I'm sorry." Aeris squeezed him again, just happy to hold him after so long. "It's ok," she said softly, "I know you didn't. I forgive you." Saying that, she drew her face close to his, and kissed him, washing away the bad memories.  
  
From where they stood, they were too far away to hear the choked sob from Reeve's room in the mansion.  
  
  
  
Vincent lay flat out on his bed, hands held behind his head. It had been a strange day all round. First there had been the Zuu attacking Aeris in the mountains, and the second one that had tried to attack them both. Then there had been, well, Yuffie. As the grin spread across his face, he struggled to focus on the rest of the day's events.The poker night had been nothing out of the ordinary. There had been the usual amount of swearing, mocking laughter and drinking. Vincent always got a spectacular hand at least once a night, so the royal flush was normal as well. What had happened after, however. . .  
  
Vincent sighed, feeling sorry for another whose life Shinra had destroyed. Vincent knew firsthand what that was like. Was that why Zack had seemed so familiar to him?  
  
"IN A MANNER OF SPEAKING," boomed a voice in his mind. Vincent sat up so fast he almost fell off the bed. "Chaos?" he thought in shock, "What the hell do you want?"  
  
"A VILLA IN COSTA DEL SOL AND A FERRARI, BUT I DOUBT THAT WILL HAPPEN," it intoned sarcastically.  
  
"Cut the crap! Why are you suddenly talking to me?"  
  
"VERY WELL. THE ONE YOU MET THIS EVENING IS KNOWN TO ME."  
  
"What? How would you know him?"  
  
"THIS I CANNOT REMEMBER. I ONLY KNOW THAT HE IS NOT ALL THAT HE SEEMS."  
  
"What is that supposed to mean? Chaos?" But there was no reply. Vincent scowled in annoyance at his inner demon and returned to his former position on the bed. The beast was just playing one of it's mind games, trying to confuse him. It wouldn't be the first time.  
  
But what if it was telling the truth? Chaos would be able to tell if there was something strange about a person, especially when it had something to do with Shinra. As he lay pondering the odd information, his keen hearing picked up muffled sobs from Reeve's room. Best not to ask, he thought, and ignored it.  
  
  
  
Reeve wept into his hands, trying to keep quiet, but only partially succeeding. Why had he fallen for her? She was too good for him, he knew that, but he hadn't been able to help himself. Her gentle teasing, her sweet smile, her heavenly eyes, the way she walked, talked, laughed. . .  
  
He wished he had said something. Whatever the odds, there had been a small chance she would have returned his feelings. And even if she didn't, she wouldn't have held it against him; there would have been no awkwardness between them. She wasn't that kind of person. So why hadn't he said anything? He knew the answer. If he didn't ask, she couldn't say no, so there was still a chance. He hadn't wanted to have his hope taken away.  
  
And now it was too late. He should have taken the gamble. Now it was too late.  
  
So what was he to do now? He would pretend. Pretend he was happy for the new couple. Pretend everything was fine with his life. Pretend he didn't feel like he had been stabbed in the heart.  
  
The crying subsided and he sat up again. That was what he would have to do. The last thing he anted was for her to know what was wrong, for that would cause awkwardness. And he couldn't bear for their friendship to suffer because of his selfishness. So he would put on a brave face. Maybe he'd get over it soon. Maybe not. He had to try. Give it some time, and he could be happy for her.  
  
He could. He knew it. Just give it some time.  
  
  
  
Cait Sith sighed. He felt sorry for his companion, but there was nothing either of them could do to make him feel better. He had muffled their link for awhile, to let Reeve be alone with his thoughts. While he was, Cait's thoughts stole back to the thing that had called itself Quarkal. The emblem on it's chest had been that of the Shinra intelligence agency; their spies. But when Shinra had shut down, they had been the only major multinational corporation in existence, so they hadn't needed spies for a long time. The department had been closed for about thirty years. So why had their attacker worn their symbol? And the black battle-suit he had worn was a design that Cait had never seen before. It was a strange business altogether. Oh well, thought the cat, I'm sure the answers will appear sooner or later. And he drifted off to sleep.  
  
  
  
Some miles away, Quarkal shuffled to a stop. He was limping by now, his ankle having almost given way. That Quake 3 had been very powerful. With an outlet of breath, he collapsed against the side of a rock. His body started to shrink, his eyes becoming human, his skin losing it's green colour. In a few minutes, a red-haired young man lay wincing on the ground, glad to be back in control of his body. He scowled at those who had opposed him. His new form needed some more training. He would come back and wipe the smiles from their faces. They would die by his hand.  
  
Pulling himself to his feet again, Reno walked off into the distance.  
  
Author's Notes: Wow, I finally updated! It feels good to get back into the swing of things. A big apology to anyone who's been waiting for me to update, especially Rads! Anyway, I should be back to updating regularly now, and I'll be finishing off my DBZ story as well. Then some new projects will begin! Until next time, True Believers! (Lol! Had to say that!) 


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